Naga (mythology)

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Naga (mythology)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In South Asian mythology, the nagas ("snake") are an ancient race of snake-humans that brought fertility to their venerators; they were especially popular in southern India. They are Varuna's servants. Nagas live in a type of palace called Patala, many of which are in Bhogavati, an underground city. They are children of Kasyapa and Kadru. The Nagas are the enemies of the Garudas, divine eagle-like creatures that appear in Buddhist and Hindu mythology.
The Nagas according to Hinduism include:

Alternative: Sesa (Java)
For Malay sailors, nagas are a type of dragon with many heads; in Thailand and Java, the naga is a wealthy underworld deity. In Laos they are beaked water serpents.
The name of the Indian city Nagpur is a reminiscent of ancient Nagapura, the legendary city of Nagas. It is believed that the legends of Nagas may have originated with some kind of tribal people in the past.[edit]

Nagas in Cambodia

In Cambodian legend, the Naga were a reptilian race of beings who possessed a large empire or kingdom in the Pacific Ocean region. The Naga King's daughter married the king of Ancient Cambodia, and thus gave rise to the Cambodian people. This is why, still, today, Cambodians say that they are "Born from the Naga". The Seven-Headed Naga serpents depicted as statues on Cambodian temples, such as Angkor Wat, apparently represent the 7 races within Naga society, which has a mythological, or symbolic, association with "the seven colours of the rainbow". Furthermore, Cambodian Naga possess numerological symbolism in the number of their heads. Odd-headed Naga symbolise the Male Energy, Infinity, Timelessness, and Immortality. This is because, numerologically, all odd numbers come from One (1). Even-headed Naga are said to be "Female, representing Physicality, Mortality, Temporality, and the Earth."[edit]

See also